CM Punk’s coach thinks we’re ‘maybe four or five months’ from his next UFC fight

When UFC President Dana White immediately suggested Phil “CM Punk” Brooks’ next mixed martial arts bout shouldn’t happen in his company’s Octagon after Punk suffered a first round submission loss in his professional debut, you’d think that would be that.

But Punk said he wasn’t done chasing his dream of being a pro shoot fighter, and a new interview with his coach, Duke Roufus, suggests that’s not just wishful thinking on the former pro wrestlers part.

Speaking to fellow SBNation site MMAFighting, the head of the Milwaukee-based Roufusport Academy Punk’s been affiliated with since signing his UFC contract in 2014 said what he’s heard of talks between his fighter and White have been positive and productive:

...things are looking hopeful. I can’t say yes or no, but they’re looking hopeful. We’re going to see. Dana’s always got a good recipe of what he’s going to create, and what’s best for the sport, and what’s best for Punk and everyone else.

While he hasn’t been personally overseeing Punk’s training - Roufus is focused on other guys in his camp with pending bouts, Anthony Pettis on Dec. 10 and Sergio Pettis on Jan. 15 - the coach said he’s in the gym and working hard.

Critics will say that a 38 year old who looked badly overwhelmed in his first pro fight shouldn’t get another - at least not at the highest level of the sport. But with his name on the card estimated to have drawn an additional 100,000 pay-per-view (PPV) buys for UFC 203, as Roufus says, “personalities drive this sport”.

Which is probably why Dana is trying to find Punk an opponent for at least one more go. Something Roufus thinks could happen in “maybe four or five months”.